


No Better Lover Than Your Enemy

by Wizzy



Series: Love Is A Crazy Thing (Haikyuu Love Stories) [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aoba Johsei, Childhood Friends, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Friends to Enemies, Karasuno, Lies, Perfect, Secrets, Volleyball, imperfect
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-04-28 11:43:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 13,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5089466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wizzy/pseuds/Wizzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All it takes is just one moment to turn the world upside down. One moment where we shared our deepest secrets without ever meaning to. One moment to make us fall. But even so, the jump from enemy to lover is gigantic and I'm no jumper.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Heartless

When your brother is a dumbass, it's hard not to call him that. Normally I avoided cursing, but after having to drag my brother's bag all the way to the gym, I wasn't in the best mood. Of course, if you wee to ask anyone in the school, they'd say I was never in a good mood. In fact, according to them, I was heartless. It was even a nickname they called me when they thought I wasn't listening.

Making my way to the gym where the Boys' Volleyball Club had their practices, something collided with me from behind. Turning, an unfamiliar student was sitting on the floor at my feet. If I had to guess, she was probably a first year.

The girl let out a small laugh as she shyly scratched at the back of her head. This was a reaction I didn't see often, not directed at me at least. That could only mean that she had no idea who I was or about my reputation.

“Sorry about that!” she giggled. “I wasn't really watching where I was going.” In mere seconds she was up on her feet. “I just transferred here from-” After that I stopped listening. It didn't matter where she was from; she was keeping me from doing what I was supposed to be doing.

The bell rang, signaling that classes would be starting soon. With a sigh, I decided my task would have to wait until classes were over.

 

With the school day over, I resumed the task I hadn't been able to complete this morning: giving my brother his things that he had stupidly forgotten at home. After giving Dumbass his bag, I had no intentions of sticking around. As I started to make way out of the gym, Oikawa, the team's captain, was just now making his entrance.

Normally I'd have ignored his presence, but a small mark on his leg caught my attention. A simple cut, straight and just barely peeking out from his shorts. The mere sight of it recalled memories I'd buried away.

 _It couldn't be... He's not that type..._ I tried to tell myself that it wasn't what I thought. Though knowing everything I knew, I knew better than to lie to myself. I knew what I saw, and it hit the soft spot in my heart.  _Will anyone else notice?_

“What's with the mark on your leg?” one of the team members asked, answering my question. Though as I expected he would, Oikawa just brushed it off, making up an excuse. He made up a fake story and the team bought the excuse, but I knew better. I'd seen them before on others, so I knew the truth behind that red line.

Even if Oikawa and I weren't on friendly terms, I couldn't just stay out of it like a normally would. This had hit me on a personal level, whether I liked or not. I had a personal history with those marks and never wanted to see them on anyone, not even an enemy.

As I passed him, I grabbed his arm quite roughly. It was known fact that I disliked Oikawa, but if I do anything to say I want your attention, you sure as hell better stop and pay attention, no matter who you are. The boy froze instantly and I began to speak just loud enough that only he could hear.

“Never lie to your friends Not about things like this.”


	2. My Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, just wanted to point out that every chapter will switch point of view. 1st chapter was Senri, 2nd is Oikawa and then back to Senri, then Oikawa and so on. You get the idea.

As she walked away from me, all I could do was stare at her. My mouth hung open slightly. I tried to stay calm, but inside, part of me was panicking. How had she known what I'd said was a lie? Even better, why would she care if I were lying to the others?

It was painfully obvious that she disliked me. Sure, we may have been friends once, but we were just kids then. She'd been so different then... kind and gentle... Not like this cold girl that was walking away from me.

She didn't see me watching her walk away. Why had she changed so much? What could have turned such a warm and kind heart so cold? I failed to see how anything could have done it without me hearing about it.

She also didn't see a volleyball that was flying right at her. Not even thinking about it, I rushed forward to pull her out of the way. What I didn't realize was that I'd called out to her as well, plus I had misjudged how fast the ball was.

Just as she'd turned around, the ball slammed into the back of my head. The impact forced me to fall forward onto her, my jaw colliding with hers as we hit the floor. Had it not been for the slight pain in my jaw and the wide eyed look on her face, I may not have even realized that we'd accidentally kissed.

My instant reaction was panic. No doubt she was going to murder me. Senri never let anyone get away with stupid stunts like this. She had a low tolerance for stupidity and was the type who wouldn't hesitate to hurt a guy. I, Toru Oikawa, was a dead man.

Her reaction, however, was a bit unexpected. She didn't hit me or even threaten me. She did give me a glare though. “You and I are going to have a little discussion after practice,” she hissed at me before running off.

Picking myself up off the floor, I watched her go. Something was off, I could tell. Any other time she would have beaten me up so badly that Iwa-chan's punches would feel like a tickle compared to it. Okay, maybe that was a slight overstatement. But even so, she didn't get her reputation as heartless for merely insulting or glaring at people. Senri wasn't afraid to hurt you if she thought you deserved it.

So then why didn't she just get it over with right then? It's not like she was afraid of the team. If anything they were afraid of her. Why put it off? Even better question, why could she tell that I was lying when no one else could?

It was all so confusing. The more I thought about it the more frustrating it became. No matter how I thought about it, it just didn't make any sense.

All throughout practice, it stayed on my mind. It was almost like it was there just to taunt me, make me lose focus. I couldn't stand it. After a few messed up tosses and serves and... well, everything else... Iwa-chan could tell something was wrong. Of course, his way of fixing it was the same as ever: an insult and a fist to my head.

Though unlike usual, it didn't have much of an effect. “It doesn't make any sense...” I mumbled only loud enough for Iwa-chan to hear. “Any other time she wouldn't have hesitated, but why would she put it off like that?”

Iwa-chan only hit me again. “Did you ever think that it was only to get into your head? She's just trying to make you torture yourself. Now snap out of it and forget about it until after practice!” He then hit me once more.

That really did help, but my other teammates weren't exactly letting me forget about it. For the rest of practice all I kept hearing were “it was nice knowing you,” “I'll tell your family you love them,” and “I'll see you at your funeral.”

It was a bit annoying, but at the same time a bit frightening. Senri wouldn't actually  _kill_ me, would she?


	3. Old Friends

Having nothing better to do, I waited around for Oikawa. As I waited, the girl from this morning approached me. I hadn't been listening to her then, so I didn't know her name. “Hey there!” She waved at me very energetically. “You're the one from this morning!”

I nodded. “I'm Senri Saito, 3rd year.” Figured I might as well be polite. Clearly she didn't know anything of my reputation and didn't appear to be afraid of me, so why not?

Her eyes widened slightly and she bowed very quickly. Must have been one of the underclassmen. “I'm sorry Saito-senpai! I didn't know! Forgive me for being so disrespectful!” she quickly apologized. Yeah, definitely an underclassmen. “Oh! I'm Risa Fujioka, 1st year.”

I eyed this new girl carefully. “You don't have any idea who I am, do you?” My voice was calm and questioning. If she were talking to me in a friendly way, then she didn't know. Or maybe she was just stupid enough to come near me after hearing every horrible thing everyone else says about me.

So what if I'm not afraid to punch a guy if he's being an ass? Is that really so wrong?

Risa looked at me in confusion. “I just met you; how could I know anything about you?” Or maybe she was stupid and didn't know. But hey, she was actually acting friendly, so why not try to be friends? Can't say I really have any anyway.

Flashing a gentle smile that I hadn't used in awhile, I decided to be myself. “That's a relief.” Risa still looked confused. Shaking it off, I changed the subject a bit. “Call me Senri. Saito sounds too manly, so I hate being called by my last name.”

After awhile of getting to know each other a bit, Risa and I got along pretty well. She seemed like a bit of a ditz, but she was a good natured girl. But soon she had to go, leaving me to wait for Oikawa on my own.

When he finally came out, he looked like he really wanted to run away. In fact, he almost started to run when he thought I hadn't seen him yet. “Oikawa, get over here.” My voice was a lot calmer than usual, but it was still firm and left no room for refusal.

There was a moment of silence before he spoke in a panicky voice. “I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!” As he cowered, I felt my heart aching just a bit. He and I may not have been friends or anything, but I'd known him and gone to the same school as him for most of my life. Even if I didn't have the nicest reputation, he should have known I wouldn't hurt him because of something that was an accident.

“Let's take a little walk,” I said, my voice much gentler than before. As we walked and after I'd given him a moment to calm down, I revealed the reason I'd wanted to have a talk with him. “What's your reason?”

He didn't answer. Maybe the question hadn't been clear enough. Or maybe he just didn't want to answer. “I'm not stupid; I know those cuts are self-inflicted.” I paused just a moment to let that sink in. “Cuts like that have a unique look to them, but you wouldn't recognize them for what they truly are unless you've seen them personally.”

Oikawa still didn't speak.

“I had a friend who used to cut herself. She did it because of some family problems that I won't get into, but because I pushed her, she tried very hard to stop.” He stopped and stared at me. I bet he couldn't believe that I'd actually had a friend before. “She made her marks on her wrist and used bracelets and hair ties to make sure they stayed covered. You can't hide them on your wrists, so you do it on you legs where your shorts can cover them. Am I right?”

Oikawa silently looked down at the ground.

“I'm not heartless, you know... It's just hard for me to show what I'm feeling. Though if anyone did know what I felt they'd only feel sorry for me and I would hate that.” His gaze instantly snapped back up to me.

It was clear there was something on his mind, so I waited for him to say it. “Have you ever...” he trailed off, not finishing his sentence. The meaning was quite clear though.

“No, I never did. But I thought about doing it,” I admitted, surprising him even more.

“Why?”

To be honest, I didn't really want to tell him. But I knew it would likely help him. In the end, I decided I had to do it. “I still consider doing it. The simplest way to put it is that I'm really lonely.” Oikawa opened his mouth to say something, but I didn't give him a chance to speak. “What is your reason? So tired of having to be Mr Perfect all the time that you just can't take it anymore but don't have the heart to say anything about it?”

Oikawa's mouth fell open. Looks like I hit the mark. Of course, what else could possibly get to this guy? It not like I haven't felt the same way before. When everyone around you thinks you're perfect, they usually end up pushing you to be perfect. For some people, it was too much to handle.

Once again, we were left in silence as we walked. As his house came into sight, I realized there was still something that needed to be said.

“Oi- Toru,” I said, using his first name for the very first time. “You don't have to be perfect. It's actually impossible for anything to be perfect. So don't worry about having to be Mr Perfect and just be you. I'm sure if you did that, you'd be a great person to be around.”

I also wanted to tell him that the next time he felt like he needed to do that again, that he should just call me instead. But he wasn't my friend. If anything he was most like my enemy. We could never be friends... not like we once had been when we were still little. It may have only been for a short time and he'd been much different then, but I could never forget it.

 _I wonder if he even remembers... Wait, why is he looking at me like that?_ Oikawa had that look on his face like when you're trying to say something you really want to, but you're afraid to. As I was about to ask, he interrupted with the words I assumed had been the ones on his mind.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” Oikawa scratched at the back of his neck shyly. Did he have some sort of trick he was trying to pull or was he actually being nice? “As an apology for earlier today... you know... when I accidentally kissed you...”


	4. Old Flames

After falling on her and accidentally kissing her, I wanted to make up for it. Though until now I'd had no idea how I could do that. No idea that didn't involve me becoming her punching bag anyway. But that wasn't the only reason I asked her to stay.

While we'd been walking back to my house and talking, she'd been acting different than she usually did. Okay, maybe she'd been acting a little weird before that. But for some reason, I just couldn't understand why.

That's when her words really hit me. She'd understood what I was doing and why without me even having to say anything. How could she know all that? She couldn't have... unless...  _Unless Senri has been through exactly the same thing._

But then why would she go through all that trouble to talk to me about it? We weren't friends. In fact, I was sure she hated me. Maybe we'd been friends when we were kids, but things were different now. I wasn't the same boy and she wasn't that same, sweet girl I knew back then.

Opening the front door, I quickly discovered that no one was home. When I'd asked her to stay, I didn't know that we were going to be alone. While I may not have minded that, I had a feeling she might not be too happy about that. But unlike what I'd expected, things went really well.

I'd started talking to her simply to fill what would have been an awkward silence. It was just simple smalltalk, nothing special. But that lead to talking about other things and before I knew it, we were both laughing and getting along like friends.

For the first time in years, she was just she had been when we were kids. It was nice knowing that the kind, sweet girl I once knew was still in there underneath that sort of cold shell. She was still the same girl I'd been friends with all those years ago.

Back then, I'd had a huge crush on her. Of course, I'd been a little awkward with girls at the time, so I'd never told her. Besides, I had a feeling she liked Iwa-chan, so I'd figured I'd let him have her. But like I said, that was years ago. Things were different now. We weren't friends; we weren't anything to each other.

Now she's got her hand over her mouth, trying so hard not to laugh at what I said. I don't even know what I said anymore but it doesn't matter. She just looks so beautiful when she's smiling like that. Wait... did I really just think that?

 _It's just my imagination. I was thinking about how I used to have a crush on her and my mind misinterpreted it._ No, that was just an excuse, it was obvious that's all it was. I just didn't want to admit I was attracted to her.

Leaning closer to her, I did something I never thought I'd ever do. I kissed her.


	5. Anyone But You *Clean Version*

Oikawa's lips pressed gently against mine. Normally, I probably would have pushed him away, but right now I didn't really want to. As I returned the kiss, I felt a hand sliding under my skirt.

Then, as sudden as his kiss, he jerked back like he'd been bitten by a snake. On his face was an expression of panic, just like after our accidental kiss earlier. “I-I'm sorry... I... I don't know what came over me...” He flashed me an apologetic look. Was he afraid of me? Many others were.

I reached out my hand, placing it gently on top of his. When he'd kissed me, I'd had no intentions of stopping him. In all honesty, I’d kind of enjoyed it. “Toru?” He turned his gaze upward, our eyes meeting. “Stop worrying about being perfect. Forget about everything for just a moment. What do _you_  want right now?”

Oikawa didn't say anything, but the look on his face told me he was definitely thinking. Just as I was about to ask again, he took my hands in his own. Pulling me up off the couch, he led me away to his bedroom. He locked the door before pulling me tight to his chest and closing the distance between our lips.

My arms wrapped around his neck, my hands tugging lightly at his soft hair. His tongue lightly brushes against my lips and I teasingly caress it with my own before allow it to enter. A soft groan escapes him as I feel his fingertips digging into my hips.

 

**This part has been censored for our more innocent readers**

 

When his eyes met with mine, I was surprised. It wasn't a look of lust, it was sweet and passionate. Definitely not something I'd have expected of Toru Oikawa. As I held his gaze, he let out a small laugh.

“What is it?” I asked softly. As an answer, he took my hand and place it gently over his heart. It was pounding like crazy. Had I done that?

Oikawa leaned in and whispered in my ear. “You've never failed to make my heart race.” His was sweet and romantic. Had he been anyone else, that could have been a love confession.

 

**This part has been censored for our more innocent readers**

 

Today certainly hadn't gone the way either of us planned, but it was amazing. Cuddling against his chest now with his arms around me, I felt content.

Exhausted, I slowly closed my eyes. I planned to rest just a bit and leave before he would wake up. “I love you...” I heard Oikawa mumble, but I just kept my eyes closed, pretending to be asleep.

_If it were anyone but you, I might actually believe you, Toru..._


	6. Anyone But You *Mature Version*

Oikawa's lips pressed gently against mine. Normally, I probably would have pushed him away, but right now I didn't really want to. As I returned the kiss, I felt a hand sliding under my skirt.

Then, as sudden as his kiss, he jerked back like he'd been bitten by a snake. On his face was an expression of panic, just like after our accidental kiss earlier. "I-I'm sorry... I... I don't know what came over me..." He flashed me an apologetic look. Was he afraid of me? Many others were.

I reached out my hand, placing it gently on top of his. When he'd kissed me, I'd had no intentions of stopping him. In all honesty, I'd kind of enjoyed it. "Toru?" He turned his gaze upward, our eyes meeting. "Stop worrying about being perfect. Forget about everything for just a moment. What do  _you_  want right now?"

Oikawa didn't say anything, but the look on his face told me he was definitely thinking. Just as I was about to ask again, he took my hands in his own. Pulling me up off the couch, he led me away to his bedroom. He locked the door before pulling me tight to his chest and closing the distance between our lips.

My arms wrapped around his neck, my hands tugging lightly at his soft hair. His tongue lightly brushes against my lips and I teasingly caress it with my own before allow it to enter. A soft groan escapes him as I feel his fingertips digging into my hips.

Without warning, he pulls away just long enough to shed our clothing.Oikawa pushes me gently back into his bed and climbs on top of me. He kisses me again, a bit rougher this time. At this point it's not hard to tell how turned on he is.

After a moment he pulls back and stares down at where I lay beneath him. Nothing was there to stop him from taking me right that second.Not that I wanted him to stop. I wanted him just as badly as he wanted me.

When his eyes met with mine, I was surprised. It wasn't a look oflust, it was sweet and passionate. Definitely not something I'd have expected of Toru Oikawa. As I held his gaze, he let out a small laugh.

"What is it?" I asked softly. As an answer, he took my hand and place it gently over his heart. It was pounding like crazy. Had I done that?

Oikawa leaned in and whispered in my ear. "You've never failed to make my heart race." His was sweet and romantic. Had he been anyone else, that could have been a love confession.

Without another word, his lips met mine again. One hand grabbed my breast, his thumb just barely brushed over the most sensitive part as his other hand slid down my side. He trailed kisses down my neck,nibbling every so often. As if that alone wouldn't be enough, his free hand stroked my womanhood, adding to the already high amount of pleasure.

A soft moan escaped my lips as he slowly and teasingly brushed against my entrance. He clearly knew what he was doing. But he wasn't the only one.

Without any warning, I pushed him off of me and pinned him down on his bed. Oikawa looked at me in surprise. "Senri? What are yo-"His question was cut off with a loud moan and my tongue trailed up his hardness.

Once more I licked from his base to his tip. Swirling my tongue around the tip, I took some of him into my mouth. After I'd earned another moan, I took in his entire length, caressing it with my tongue as I did. Oikawa squirmed underneath me, now a moaning mess.Clearly he hadn't expected this.

Not wanting him to finish quite yet, I pulled away. The second he was free, I found myself pinned beneath him again. "You've done that before..." he said, panting heavily. Seeing him flustered like this was actually kinda sexy.

I bit down lightly on his neck before whispering teasingly in his ear. "You didn't actually think I was a virgin, did you?"

He didn't answer. Instead, I felt his hard member pressing against my womanhood. As he kissed me one more time, I felt him enter me, making a strange noise escape my lips.

It was a high pitched, feminine moan. Or maybe it was more of a gasp.Either way, I couldn't believe that sound was coming from me.  _Is that even my voice?_ It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that Oikawa loved that sound.

The more times it escaped, the faster he moved. Damn was he good."Toru..." I moaned, moving my hips along with his. If he kept this up, neither of us could last long. A few more thrusts and I was about to lose it. "Toru!" I screamed out his name I felt myself going over the edge. Feeling myself tightening around him, I felt his seed spill into me.

Both of us panting heavily, Oikawa pulled out and laid in the bed next to me. Today certainly hadn't gone the way either of us planned,but it was amazing. Cuddling against his chest now with his arms around me, I felt content.

Exhausted, I slowly closed my eyes. I planned to rest just a bit and leave before he would wake up. "I love you..." I heard Oikawa mumble, but I just kept my eyes closed, pretending to be asleep.

_If it were anyone but you, I might actually believe you, Toru..._


	7. Lectures

The next morning, I woke to find Senri still sleeping peacefully in my arms. Watching her silently, the memories of yesterday replayed in my head. The way she saw through me without even trying. The way she opened up to me even though it was just for a moment. The sound of her laugh, something I hadn't heard in years. And then the way it felt when we kissed...

Looking down ay the girl asleep in my arms, I began to wonder what she felt. Senri wasn't the kind of girl who would lie about her feelings... though she'd certainly deny them if she felt she needed to.

In the end, I couldn't be sure about her feelings. However, I did know that she at least cared about me a lot more than any of us thought. The fact that she was here with me now proved it. But what happened last night was no way to prove she loved me. It was almost frustrating.

I heard the front door open and close, followed by my older sister's voice calling me. That's when I’d remembered that she'd asked me to watch my nephew for a bit today, since there was no school and I didn't have practice. Mumbling a curse to myself, I climbed out of bed and slipped some pants on. Couldn't go out there completely naked, you know.

Rushing out into the other room, I didn't realize that the door didn't close all the way. Nor that it mattered. It's not like you could see into my bedroom from the living room anyway. As I greeted my sister, she starting to do the same but stopped herself. Her eyes moved down to my neck and she had a very serious expression on her face.

In that moment, the events of last night flashed through my mind. I didn't really think about it until now, but Senri had probably left some marks. My messed up hair probably didn't help hide it either. Of course, messy hair could be passed off as simple bedhead. A hickey though, was a definite giveaway that something had happened.

When my sister finally spoke, her voice calm and firm. “Takeru, go play a moment. I need to have a little talk with Toru,” she said, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me into the kitchen. The second we were alone, I half expected her to slap me. “Are you kidding me, Toru? Mom and Dad have been gone on their vacation for barely a day and you're fooling around already?” I'd actually forgotten that that was this week. My sister hit me over the top of my head. “What are you thinking? You can't be doing stupid things like this!”

She tried to hit me again, but I grabbed her wrist to stop her. “It's not like that...” I released her and sighed. “What happened with Senri last night... I didn't plan it; it just sorta happened.”

My sister paused to let my words sink in. “Senri...? Wait... you mean that sweet little girl you had a huge crush on in elementary school?” I nodded. “You dared to corrupt such a sweet girl?!” My sister hit me on the head a second time. Luckily I was used to Iwa-chan hitting me all the time, so this was nothing.

“I did no such thing!” That was the truth. Senri had admitted that it hadn't been her first time. “Someone else already beat me to it...” I mumbled, suddenly feeling a bit disappointed at not being the first. Though I will admit that if I had been her first, it wouldn't have been as amazing.

With a sigh, my sister seemed to give up on trying to knock some sense into me. “Please tell me you at least used some sort of protection... The world couldn't handle another you...”

I didn't answer that. At the time it was happening, I was too into it to think or even care about such a little thing. Guess that's what happens when you let your lust get to you. Though now that I was thinking back, I really should have used something, because right now I was sort of worried about it.

My sister's mouth dropped open. Instinctively, I held up my arms as a shield, waiting for her to hit me. But she didn't. “Toru...” she groaned. “You idiot... What is she ends up pregnant?”

In all honesty, I hadn't given it any thought. I did know one thing though. “I care about Senri,” I said firmly. “Whether that happens or not, I...” I paused a moment as I felt my heart racing at the thought of what I was about to say. “I want to be with her.”


	8. Feelings

When I woke, I was a bit surprised to see that it was morning. Even more surprising was that Oikawa was no longer laying beside me. This was a first for me. Every time I'd spent a night with a guy, I was already up and gone before he could even open his eyes.

Climbing out of his bed, I quickly slipped my clothes on. I needed to leave before someone saw me here. Leaving a note on his desk, I was about to climb out the window when a child's voice spoke. “What are you doing?”

I stopped and turned around. This little boy must have been Oikawa's nephew. I'd briefly heard him mention him, but I'd never actually met the kid before.

Slowly, I walked over to the kid and knelt down so I was at his level. “Hey there. If Toru asks, you didn't see me, okay?” I said in a sweet voice. Good thing I'd always been good with kids. The little boy nodded and I peeked out of the bedroom door, but I didn't see anyone. I turned my gaze to the boy. “Do you know where he is right now?”

He nodded. “He's in the kitchen with Mom.” He tilted his head cutely. “Hey are you Toru's girlfriend?”

Fair question. What I'd done with Oikawa was something that couples did, but doing what we did definitely did not mean we were a couple. “No, I'm not his girlfriend.”

“Aww... really?” the boy almost looked disappointed. But as to why, I had no clue. I'm sure Oikawa had lots of girls who were better than me anyway. “You're a lot prettier than his last girlfriend. And you're a lot nicer too. You should be his girlfriend.”

I couldn't hold back a giggle. He was a sweet kid. “That's very sweet, but I don't think Toru would agree.” Oikawa and I... we weren't even friends. Last night... it shouldn't have happened. Though I would be lying if I said I absolutely hated the idea of being his girlfriend. “Besides, he can be a real pain sometimes, you know?” I joked, earning a little a laugh from the boy.

“I'm Takeru.”

“It's nice to meet you, Takeru. I'm Senri.” As much as I would have loved to, I couldn't stand here talking to this kid for much longer. Quietly I slipped through the bedroom door, heading towards the front door. As I made my way past the way into the kitchen, I heard a few pieces of the conversation going on within.

“Please tell me you at least used some sort of protection... The world couldn't handle another you...” It was a woman's voice, probably his sister. When Oikawa didn't answer, she spoke again in a different tone. More like a mother scolding her child. “Toru... You idiot... What if she ends up pregnant?”

Mentally I made a comment about how that was highly unlikely to happen. Even if he hadn't thought about that kinda thing, it didn't mean I didn't. I wasn't stupid; I had my own sort of protection to make sure that kind of thing didn't happen. Just because I seemed like a heartless witch to the guys at my school, that didn't mean I didn't have any fun with guys from other schools.

But his response wasn't one I'd expected to hear. If anything, I expected him to panic a bit. Instead, his voice didn't hold any signs of such a reaction.

“I care about Senri.” His voice was firm, like nothing could possibly make him say anything different. “Whether that happens or not, I...” he paused a moment making me worried about what he was about to say. “I want to be with her.”

That conversation wasn't meant for me to hear and I couldn't listen to any more. Quickly and quietly I rushed out the door, trying to ignore the way that his last few words had made my heart clench.


	9. Worry

My words were a surprise to my sister. She probably knew me better than most girls did, but she was still fooled by the way I acted towards most girls. In her eyes I more than likely looked like some womanizing jerk, but that wasn't what I was.

Sure, I flirted a lot and tended to go through a lot of girlfriends that never lasted long, but I wasn't a bad guy. They usually were the ones to break up with me. Most times I had no idea why. I mean, it's not like ever cheated on any of them or anything. At worst I'd forget about a date because of volleyball practice.

Even so, my sister still lectured me about it. While I didn't say or show it, she brought up things that did worry me. She continued on until she realized she was going to be late if she didn't leave soon. I was glad when it was over.

After my sister was finally gone, I made my way to my bedroom. I'd been so tired after last night, I forgot to take my contacts out before I went to sleep. And now, they were starting to bother me. Guess that meant I had to wear my glasses for today. But I didn't mind, it's not like my nephew hasn't seen them before. In fact, he always said they were uncool on me.

But as I remembered Senri still laying in my bed, I couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious. Even though we'd known each other since we were kids, she'd never known that I had them. The thought of her seeing me in glasses wasn't one that I liked.

As I entered my bedroom, Senri wasn't there. I hadn't heard her leave, so when did she do it? While I thought about it, my eyes landed on a piece of paper neatly tucked under my cell phone.

Fixing my glasses on my face, I picked it up. It was just a simple note followed by a phone number. No name, but it wasn't necessary because I already knew who'd left it.

It was then I realized something: it was really quiet in the house. It might have just been me and Takeru here, but it shouldn't be so quiet that I could hear my own heart beating in my chest. In a way, it was almost like... The thought made me freeze. It was almost like he wasn't even here.

No, he had to be here. I did a quick scan around my room. Nothing. I looked in my sister's old room. Nope. Then the living room. Not there. I looked everywhere in the house. Not a sign of him besides his backpack set by my bedroom door.

I tried calling his name, but I got no answer. If he wasn't here, where was he? If my sister found out I lost him, I was dead. Unlike when I was afraid Senri was going to kill me, I knew my sister would actually kill me for losing her precious child.

I was beginning to panic when my eyes fell on the note. _If you ever feel like you can't handle it anymore or if you need me, just call._ Did this count for that? I certainly hoped so. Pulling out my phone, I dialed the number she'd left me, silently praying that she could help me.

 


	10. Kids

As I walked away from Oikawa's home, his words kept echoing in my head. _I want to be with her..._ Why did he have to say that? Why did he have to suddenly make this so complicated? What happened was just one of those one-time things that just happen suddenly and then you forget about it. Things like that don't lead to anything more.

He couldn't have felt like that before last night. It wasn't possible. I'd known him for years and yesterday was the first time in years that we'd ever acted like anything close to friends. Maybe he might have when we were kids, but that never really means anything.

 _Damn it, Toru..._ I'd been trying to forget about it, but then I ended up thinking about it.

Near Oikawa's home was a park that I used to play at when was little. Hoping it might help clear my head, I made my way there.

I remembered coming here a lot back in elementary school. Oikawa and I were friends then. Iwaizumi was too. The three of us would meet up here and we would always have so much fun. But that was all in the past. Kids grow up, friendships fade... that's how life goes.

As I stood there thinking about it, something bumped into me from behind. I turned around to see. What I found wasn't what I had expected. “What are you doing here?”

Oikawa's nephew, Takeru looked up at me with an innocent smile. “You looked really sad, so I wanted to make you feel better,” he said sweetly. If he was here, then where was Oikawa? He might not have been the smartest guy or even the most responsible, but he wasn't stupid enough to let a little kid wander off alone.

“It was Takeru, right?” The little boy nodded. “Where's Toru? He should be here with you,” I asked, keeping a calm voice. Takeru just shrugged. I probably should be scolding him for going off on his own, but I didn't want to upset him. Besides, it wasn't my responsibility to be looking after him; not that that would stop me from keeping an eye on him while no one else was around.

After a moment of figuring out what was going on, I decided to let Takeru stay here for a little while before taking him back to Oikawa. If he was really worried about the kid, then I had a feeling he'd call me. Well, that was assuming he'd found my note by now and had the guts to ask for help.

“Senri, why were you in Toru's room so early in the morning?” little Takeru asked as he sat down on a swing.

As I thought of the simplest and cleanest way to explain it, I gave him a little push to get the swing started for him. It reminded me of how hard it used to be when I was little. “Well... Toru was feeling kinda sad yesterday, so I came over to cheer him up.” I gave him another good push. “We ended up talking until really late and we kinda just fell asleep.”

“Why was Toru sad?” Takeru asked. I had to hold back a laugh. Little kids always had a question for everything you said, no matter how many times you think you answered in a way that left no questions. “Is it because his girlfriend dumped him?”

That was something I really couldn't answer because I didn't actually know. Sure I'd guessed that the pressure that Oikawa constantly felt had gotten to be too much, but there was probably more to it than that. “Grownup stuff,” I said, hoping that would be enough of an answer for him. “But he might be sad about that too. I don't really know though; he didn't tell me.”

I sat down on a swing next to Takeru. “Aren't you and Toru friends?”

“No, we're not. Not anymore,” I admitted. You don't become friends overnight and friends don't do what we did. “We used to be though, back when we were little.”

“Why aren't you friends now?”

I wished I didn't know the answer to that. We stopped talking because Oikawa had changed as he grew up and so did I. The two of us started to grow apart and before we knew it, it was like we were living in completely different worlds.

Oikawa had become one of those flirty prettyboy types. He always had this fake smile on his face. Everywhere he went, he was surrounded by a crowd of girls. They all adored him, but they never really knew and understood him. Having once understood him, I knew that girls as shallow as them could never truly understand the kind of person he really was.

He wasn't the only one who changed though. After I started middle school, another side of myself began forming. That side became the opposite of Oikawa...

At the beginning of my first year, there were a few second years that liked to pick on me. At first I simply toughed it out and cried when no one was around, but after awhile I finally did something about it. Locking away my kind and sensitive self, I wasn't afraid to hurt anyone who dared to pick on me. And over time, that side took over and became the only thing anyone else would see. It was around that time that I earned the nickname of “Heartless.”

“We changed as we grew up,” I said, finally answering the little boy's question after awhile. “It's just something that happens when you get old. But only sometimes.”

After a moment more, I stood up and motioned for Takeru to follow. “Come on, we better get you back to Toru.” As I spoke, my cell phone began to ring, showing a number that I didn't know. But my newly made friend was quick to recognize it as none other that Toru Oikawa's.

 


	11. Nothing To Talk About

I was relieved to hear that Takeru was with Senri. Sure, that wasn't where he was supposed to be, but it was better than any other scenario. At least this way I could get him back here and my sister wouldn't have to even know a thing.

“Where are you now?” I asked her. “I'll meet you.”

Her response came quickly. A little too quickly, actually. “No.” Before I could even ask why, she was already answering me. “We're on our way back there, so don't worry about it.”

“But-”

“No, Toru.” The harshness of her voice made me flinch. I guess hoping that last had changed things between the two of us was a bit much. “We're about halfway there.”

I didn't know why, but all of a sudden I felt like I really wanted to talk to her. Though no matter how hard I tried to think of something, all that came to mind was the conversation I'd had with my sister, and that only made me start to worry. What if she really did end up... No, I couldn't start thinking that way.

Though as hard as I tried to think about it, I couldn't stop myself from asking. “Senri, about last night-”

“No.”

All my life, I don't think I'd heard a word that sounded so cold. She couldn't possibly have known what I was going to say. No matter, I'd just have to try again. “But I-”

“Stop.”

I let out a sigh. Did last night really mean nothing to her? I guess I could believe that. Senri wasn't exactly known for being affectionate or even having any sort of romantic feelings. In fact, she was feared because of her harsh and “heartless” seeming personality.

No! Senri wasn't really like that! She cared a lot, even if she didn't always show it. Last night was proof enough. Even if she didn't feel the same way about that I did, she had to have at least cared about me if she'd done all that.

Of course, that really didn't explain why she was avoiding the subject now. “Senri, there's something I need to talk to you about,” I said firmly and quickly, not giving her the chance to cut me off this time.

Her next words still managed to hurt though. “Toru, there's nothing that we need to talk about,” she said, her voice soft and if I didn't know better I'd have thought she was sad. “What happened, happened. There's nothing to-”

She stopped and I heard muffled voices coming from her side. Even though I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I knew it wasn't Takeru and it didn't sound friendly. “Senri?”

“We'll talk some other time, Toru.”

“Sen-” Before I could even ask what was going on, she'd already hung up on me.

What was going on? She'd been too calm for it to have been anything serious. But then again, Senri was always pretty calm unless you pissed her off. Even though I knew that she could take care of herself, I couldn't help but worry.

Minutes passed before I heard the front door open. I rushed over, but what I saw wasn't quite what I'd been hoping for. Takeru was there, but no Senri. “Where's Senri?”

My nephew didn't seem that worried about it, so I assumed that meant nothing bad had happen. Not that I thought it would; you'd have to be a total idiot or an extreme masochist to mess with a girl like Senri. “She ran into someone and he was talking to her, so she told me to go ahead.”

If she'd sent him on his own, it couldn't have been far. Senri was a responsible girl, after all. “So who was it? What was he saying?” I asked, hoping I didn't sound jealous. We weren't together, so I couldn't do anything about her talking another guy, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

Takeru just shrugged. “He was weird. He said a bunch of weird stuff.” The little boy took his shoes off. “I don't think Big Sis liked him. She looked like she was mad at him.”

“Sis?” I think my jaw just hit the floor. “Why are you calling her Big Sis all of a sudden?”

A smile spread across his little face. “Because she's cool!”

“I'm cool too!” I frowned. He'd barely met her, there was no way she was cooler than me.

“No you're not.”

“So mean!”

 


	12. In My Heart

“Senri, about last night-”

“No.” I cut Oikawa off before he had a chance to even say it. But him being the way he is, he wasn't giving up just yet. So once more I cut him off. “Stop.”

I already knew what he was going to say and it really didn't matter. After hearing him talking to his sister this morning, I didn't need to hear what he wanted to tell me.

But Oikawa wasn't giving up just yet. “Senri, there's something I need to talk to you about.”

“Toru, there's nothing that we need to talk about,” I sighed. The words would be painful to him, but they were true. There really was nothing to talk about. “What happened, happened. There's nothing to-”

I stopped talking when I'd seen a familiar-looking figure up ahead. “Senri?”

“We'll talk some other time, Toru.” Now wasn't the time to be talking to him... not when I knew what he would say.

“Sen-” I hung up the phone before he could even protest.

The guy ahead of us turned to look at me, a mischievous grin on his face as he came towards us. “Takeru, I want you to go on ahead without me.” This particular person wasn't someone that I was really in the mood to see right now, so I couldn't begin to guess how this would end up. It might possibly with me kicking his ass, which I wouldn't want a sweet little kid like Takeru to see.

“Why?”

“Just go,” I said, giving a light smile. The boy didn't know me like Oikawa did, but I'm sure even he could tell that I was tough enough to take care of myself. I flashed him a reassuring smile and motioned for him to go on. “Don't worry, I'll be fine. You just get back to Toru.”

The little boy nodded and continued walking. It wasn't far to Oikawa's house from here. In fact, I could see it from where I now stood. Sighing, I turned to the red-haired guy standing beside me. “Who's the kid?”

“What do you want, Satori?”

Satori faked a hurt expression. “Cuddly as ever I see,” he said sarcastically. “You haven't gotten laid in awhile, have you?”

Annoyed, I swatted at him. “Shut up,” I growled. “For your information, the last time just happened to be last night.”

“Oh?” That certainly caught his attention. “Did Tsundere Senri finally get a new boyfriend?” I really wanted to slap that stupid smirk of his right off his face, but I restrained myself this time. It's not like hurting him would really make any difference anyway... Satori will be Satori no matter what the scenario. “So what planet is he from?”

“He's not my boyfriend.” As I thought about it though, the redhead's last question was kind of funny. Oikawa did have an obsession with aliens once. “And I'm not a tsundere!” I smacked the tall boy on the back of the head pretty hard. “He goes to Aoba Johsai, by the way.”

That one surprised him. As far as anyone knew, any guy who attended the say school as me from my first year of middle school until now, would be too afraid to even consider the thought of actually doing anything with me. They might think about it late at night, but they would never think that they would ever actually do it.

“So what idiot actually had the guts to go for it?”

Once more I smacked him in the back of the head. “He's not an idiot and it's none of your business who I sleep with.”

“So I know him, huh? Must be a third year volleyball player,” he said, smirking at me. Well, he wasn't called the Guess Monster for nothing. Even if he is a bit of an ass, there was no denying that he was smart; maybe even too smart for his own good sometimes.

“I told you, it's not any of your business,” I repeated, not answering whether he was right or wrong.

Of course, not answering and confirming were the same right now and the guy walking with me now knew that he was on the right track. “It's probably that ace of theirs... Iwaizumi's strong enough that he wouldn't have to worry about you hurting him,” Satori grinned at me, but I simply ignored him. “Or Oikawa... he seems to be pretty popular with the ladies, so adding your name to his list of conquests would be a nice little ego boost for him...”

I hit Satori again, much harder this time. “Again, who I have sex with is none of your business.” Sighing, I gave in and told him who, if only to shut him up about it. “If you really must know, it was Oikawa and it was a one time thing.”

“I didn't think you went for his type,” Satori shrugged. “But then again, a one night stand with someone like him isn't exactly out of character for you.” Like always though, he could tell there was something else on my mind. “So what's really bothering you? Usually you're in a better mood after you've gotten laid.”

“I really hate you, you know that?” There was no hiding anything from him, I should have known that by now. You'd have to know someone pretty well when you've known them for three years, you know? “He practically confessed during it and afterwards he told me he loved me.”

Satori just at me with his mouth hanging open. “Don't tell me you actually believed something like that from someone like him...”

“Do I look like an idiot to you?” I snapped at him. As tempting as it was to hit him again, it would be a waste of energy. “I'm not about to go running into some guy's arms just because he thinks he loves me just because I gave him some comfort when he was feeling depressed.” I let out another sigh. “I wish I hadn't heard him telling his sister that he cared for me and wanted to be with me though... He doesn't know I heard that and I left before he had a chance to say anything...”

“So you're just going to pretend it never happened?”

No matter how much I thought it over, there was no way that Oikawa and I would work. We were just too different from each other. A single night of passion was the best either of us could hope for and that was enough for me. Even if I wanted to be with him, in my heart I knew that it just wouldn't be right.

“That's exactly what I'm going to do.”


	13. Like Nothing Happened

“Senri!” I called out to her, waving. She didn't even look at me. All I could do was sigh. It's been like this ever since that night. Senri won't look at me... won't even talk to me... Things like this usually had no effect on me, but I'd be lying if I said that this situation didn't bother me.

“Oikawa, why do you keep trying to talk to her?” one of my fangirls asked, tugging at my arm. To be honest, I had no idea what her name even was... she was nothing to me. “Heartless doesn't like you, so why do you keep trying?”

Several of the other girls surrounding me nodded. “She's terrible! She'll hurt you if you're not careful!”

As sweet as it was for them to worry about me, it really wasn't necessary. “Senri isn't how you think she is,” I said, my voice sounding much more serious that it usually did around my fans. For just a moment, I was reminded of what she'd told me that day.

“ _I'm not heartless, you know... It's just hard for me to show what I'm feeling. Though if anyone did know what I felt they'd only feel sorry for me and I would hate that.”_

“I'm sure there's more to her than that,” I said, quickly trying to cover my brief slip-up. Couldn't exactly just come out and say that I'd slept with her, you know? But still, I didn't want to just stand there and listen to people insult a girl I cared for. “Maybe she acts the way she does because she's lonely.”

Eventually they let it go, but I could tell they weren't fond of my sudden interest in someone who acted liked they hated me. I had a feeling though, if they could the side of Senri that I'd seen that day, then they'd change their minds about her. She'd probably lose her reputation as Heartless and then she wouldn't be lonely anymore.

Though that would mean that she'd be getting a lot more attention from guys. But I guess that wouldn't be that bad because I'm way better than any of them anyway. In fact I'd feel bad for them because they wouldn't even stand a chance!

 

I packed up my things quickly. There was going to be a practice match at another school today... and not just any school: Karasuno. Yep, the school of my former kouhai, Tobio Kageyama. Last time we had a practice match, I hadn't really gotten to play. This time though, we'd win.

Once everyone was on the bus and we started going, I let my mind drift off. Soon I found myself thinking of that day with Senri. The way she'd acted was so different from the Senri everyone knew... it was like she'd gone back to the Senri I'd loved when we were kids... even if only for a day. That didn't explain why she was suddenly acting like it never happened though.

My thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of one of the first years realizing they'd forgotten something. I had a pretty good guess and as my eyes fell on Senri's brother, my suspicion was confirmed. Saito had once again forgotten his bag.

I felt an opportunity rise. “Saito.” The boy quickly turned my direction. “Just call your sister and tell have her meet us there.” The boy nodded and reached into his pocket. Almost immediately he frowned; he didn't have his cell phone and based on the look on his face, he didn't know her number without it.

I reached into my own pocket and called her. As it was ringing, I passed it off to Saito. That one earned me a few shocked looks from my teammates. It was my fellow third years, however, that actually dared to question it.

“How did you manage to get Heartless' number?”

I merely shrugged. “She offered it to me.” That was sort of true; she left it on my bedside table and said that I could call her anytime I needed to. This was also a chance for me brag about that night. “I slept with her too.”

The entire bus started laughing. “There is no way we're believing that!” Makki barely managed to get out.

“Not even you could get her,” Mattsun quickly added, holding his sides as if they were about to split open if he didn't hang onto them.

I scowled at them. “I could too!” In fact I already had, but clearly they weren't going to believe me. No one would unless Senri said it herself and I doubted that would ever happen.

“Senri wouldn't do something like that with you.” Hearing little Saito speaking so calm and firmly was a surprise. Even more surprising was that he was saying something positive about his older sister even though the two appeared to not get along. “She's always hated guys like you, so I know she'd never do anything with you. But...” he paused a moment and looked at me with a light smile, “I think she'd be better off with you than that guy she hangs out with from Shiratorizawa.”

The mere mention of it was more than enough to catch my attention. After telling the kid who was sitting next to Saito to trade seats with me, I quickly began interrogating her younger brother for more details about this mystery guy of Senri's. Maybe, just maybe, this guy was the answer my problem.


	14. Fear & Interest

You'd think that with as often as he forgot his things, my idiot brother might actually have a way of making himself remember them. Nope. And so the reason I am here at the volleyball club's practice match.

“Oikawa kept asking stuff about you,” my brother said, casting a glance at the captain who was currently standing next to his best friend and not-so-subtly staring over here. “I don't know why he's suddenly so interested, but it's weird.”

Unfortunately, I did know why. However, that night was a one time thing. If I let it lead to anything more, there was no way it could work out. In the end I'd just get my heart broken again. Oikawa didn't really care; he just thought he did because I showed that I cared for him.

“Just ignore him and his stupidity.”

My brother sighed. “He'd be better for you than Satori.” To be honest, I wasn't sure I believed that. I knew where Satori's feelings lie, but not Oikawa's. “I know that you like hanging out and fooling around with him, but that's not good for you. You should start actually dating someone and forget that guy...”

“My love life isn't any of your business,” I said, crossing my arms. He's right though, I can't deny it. It would be so much better for me if I stopped seeing Satori and got an actual boyfriend. Of course, I wasn't quite ready to do that. “Stop being a dumbass and remember your stuff from now on, okay?”

As I turned to walk away, he called out to me again. “Sis!” Looking back, he didn't say a word and simply tapped on the side of his neck.

I put my hand on my neck; I got the message. He was pointing out a little mark from last night. Adjusting my hair so that it covered it, something else caught me before I could leave. Unfortunately it was the same idiot that my brother and I had just been discussing.

Unlucky for Oikawa, I really wasn't in the mood to deal with him. Knowing him though, I was sure he could already tell, yet he was choosing to ignore it. “Hello Senri,” he said in that ever flirty voice of his. “Are you going to watch me play?” He draped his arm over my shoulder, but I quickly pushed it away.

“Not even in your dreams...”

“Rude!”

“You say somethin'?”

He flinched a little and quickly came back with a different thing to say. “How about a date then?”

“Sure. How about the next time hell freezes over?” I turned to leave, but he just shifted around and stood in the way.

“Meanie!”

Scowling, I turned and when he cut me off again, I was about to introduce his face to my fist. But as a figure came into view and distracted me, I quickly forgot my annoyance with the flirty as hell setter. Grabbing his jaw, I forcibly turned his head to look. “Am I seeing things, or is that really Kageyama?” The scowl that instantly formed on his face was all the answer I needed.

I immediately made my way over to where he was with his team, partly to see how he's been and partly to escape Oikawa. Seijoh's setter wouldn't dare try anything in front of our former underclassman. “Long time no see, Kageyama.”

As I approached him, the first year stiffened. “Hear- uh... S-Saito-senpai!” Oh, caught him by surprise. He looked really uneasy and I had a very good idea why. You see, we'd gone to the same middle school and I'd had quite a reputation even back then. In fact, by the time he'd met me, I'd already been known as “Heartless.”

Nearby, a tall blonde snickered. “Is the King scared of a little girl?” Beside him, a freckle-faced boy joined in.

Kageyama glared at the blonde. “In middle school she nearly killed a third year just for looking at her and she was only a first year!”

In all honesty, that story sounded ridiculous. However, that had been one of the main reasons I became so infamous in my schools. Though as much as I would have enjoyed having that be true, it was quite exaggerated and I really couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud.

“You actually believe that?” I could hardly breathe from how hard I was laughing. As my laughter calmed, I noticed a slightly embarrassed expression on Kageyama's face. Probably because he felt ashamed to have believed such a ridiculous story in the first place. “He was only a second year and all I did was break his arm. But he tried to grope me, so he deserved it.”

As crazy as that story was, I was glad to hear that I was still remembered by someone who had barely even known me.


	15. Problem

It pissed me off to see her talking to them. While I knew that Senri would never have any interest in Kageyama, since she wasn't into younger guys, it still pissed me to see her talking to him. And laughing. She was laughing while she was interacting with him. But while Kageyama pissed me off, that third year setter made me furious.

They were getting a long great and it was pretty obvious that they were flirting. And that smile. Senri was giving him that sweet smile that I wanted to keep all to myself. It was only worse when others noticed it too, saying how amazing it was that she was even capable of smiling. Of course she could smile! She's human, just like the rest of us.

I knew it was only a couple minutes, but it felt like forever. Eventually, my irritation started to boil over and I couldn't resist serving a volleyball right towards his head. I didn't dare to hit him with it; I wasn't an idiot. However, Senri didn't appreciate that and sent it right back my way, not afraid to him me in the head. Thankfully her aim wasn't as good, so it barely skimmed me. Though that glare she sent me with it broke my heart.

That glare made me begin question myself. Why? Why was I trying so hard? Not once had I ever tried so hard to get a girl, so what made Senri so special? That's when I realized it: I didn't even know.

 

For days, I couldn't get if off my mind. Did I only think that I cared for her because she'd been there when I needed someone? I knew that if you comfort a girl when she's down, she'll always remember that and will be more likely to develop feelings for you. Was that all this was?

No! It couldn't be... Maybe it was because she'd understood the way I was feeling when no one else did? Senri had seen right through me, guessing my feelings before even being given any real hints. No hint besides a thin cut across my leg. It wasn't until then that I'd realized that I hadn't felt like I needed to do that ever since that night.

Though now, I can't deny that I'm tempted. But as I considered the thought of it, I heard Senri's voice in my head.

_If you ever feel like you have to do that, just call me instead._

While it may not have been her exact words that I heard, the meaning was exactly the same. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone and searched for her number. It's one that I've only used one time, when Takeru had disappeared on me. I've never used it since then, out of fear that if I bothered her, she'd start ignoring me, or worse, completely block my number.

Taking a deep breath, I made the call and put the phone to my ear. It was quite possible that she wouldn't even answer and I can't say I'd blame her. I'd been pretty irritating to her since that day. But I can't exactly help it if I wanted to be around her, can I?

“Toru?” A wave of relief flooded over me. I didn't even realize that I'd been so scared that she wouldn't answer.

Though now that I was at that point, I realized that I didn't really know what to say. “I...” My voice faltered, but Senri seemed to understand. If I'd waited this long to call, then obviously I wasn't trying to bother her. “I'm sorry...”

I wasn't entirely sure what I was apologizing for. For bothering her? For getting angry that she was talking to another guy? For trying to hit him in the face with a volleyball?

“It's okay.” Her voice is that gentle and sweet one that I hadn't seen since that night. I wished that I could hear it all the time. In the background though, I heard another voice; a guy's voice. It's definitely not Karasuno's setter's voice though. What's worse is that it almost sounds familiar.

“Just tell him to go bother someone else,” the guy's voice complained from the other side. She's not alone...

A little squeak comes from Senri. “Knock it off, Satori,” I heard her scold her companion. “Sorry Toru, but I'm kind of in the middle of something right now...” That was pretty obvious. She and that Satori guy were probably about to go at it when I'd called. “Do you think you can hold out a little longer? It shouldn't be more than an hour.”

“Two hours.”

“Shut up, Satori.”

Senri sounded just like that Senri that I fell for years ago. If I told her that I couldn't hold on, then she'd ditch that guy and probably come running to me. But as much as I wanted that, I just couldn't do it. “I'll be alright.” I tried my best to sound convincing, though I was pretty sure that she could see right through it. “If it gets bad then I'll just call you.”

“Alright,” she said as I heard a smacking sound on the other end. My guess was that she'd just hit that Satori guy. He was probably trying to go at it while she was clearly too busy to pay him any attention.

Before the call ended, there was on last thing I needed to know. “Um, Senri?”

“Yeah?”

“You're with that guy from Shiratorizawa right now, aren't you?” If he was, then I knew exactly who he was. And if he was that guy, then I knew that I didn't like him at all. While his skills in volleyball where pretty amazing, I had only one way to say what I thought of his: he was a dick. End of conversation.

“Yeah, I am.”

 

With a sigh, I laid back on my bed. I don't like Senri hanging around with that guy. If what Saito had said was true, then the guy was just screwing around with her. She probably already knew that, but then why stick with him? Maybe she loved him...

That thought made my stomach flip. No way. There was no way Senri would love a guy like him. She always acted like she hated guys like him. It just wouldn't make sense.

I laid there, glaring at my ceiling. The longer I thought about it, the worse I felt. The worse I felt, the more I felt like I needed a release. I wanted so badly to call her and tell her that I can't do this, but I didn't.

Taking a deep breath, I bit down on my hand. Physical pain to distract you from your emotional pain, as they say. This is much safer than a cut and I was less likely to be scolded for it. It wasn't much help, but it was just enough.

And as I laid there, trying to distract myself, I finally figured out why I'd been so interesting in Senri: I loved her. I loved her for being her and for being that sweet Senri that rarely showed; the Senri that I'd known when we were kids.

But even knowing the answer to my problem, another had quickly come up: Senri had been seeing someone else... and she seemed to like him a whole lot more than she liked me.


	16. Shiratorizawa VS Karasuno

“He's certainly persistent,” Satori chuckled, pulling me back to him after I'd hung up the phone. Oikawa had picked probably one of the worst times to call, but I had told him that he could call anytime he needed me.

Satori's lips reattached themselves to my neck, but I just pushed him off. After talking to Oikawa, I was no longer in the mood. Of course, Satori being Satori, he didn't like that. But he'd never try to do anything if he knew I didn't want to. Mainly because he knew that I'd kick his ass, but still...

He just sighed and laid back in his bed. “You like him, don't you?” he asked, though he sounded like he already knew the answer.

“That's not any of your business.” I immediately turned my back to him and stayed that way for the rest of the evening.

Oikawa never called back.

 

Weeks passed by. The only interaction I really had with Oikawa was an occasional text, giving a dorky and usually alien-themed pick-up line and asking if I'd changed my mind about going on a date with him. Every time, I turned him down.

Now it was the finals for the Spring Tournament Preliminaries. As expected, Shiratorizawa had made it through. Their opponent: Karasuno High School. It was surprising to see such a no-name school make it this far, but from what I'd seen when they defeated Aoba Johsai, I figured that they at least stood a chance.

Normally I only ever watched Satori's matches, but just this once I decided that I'd watch Oikawa. Now that it was over, I was glad I did. The match itself was, to put it simply, intense. Even until the very end, you couldn't tell which side was going to win. In the end though, it was Karasuno who won.

The next day, it was the finals. Now it was Shiratorizawa vs Karasuno. I'd really only came in hopes of watching Satori and his team be defeated. While it might sound terrible, Satori really was kind of an ass, so it was fine.

Upon coming in and looking for a seat, I was surprised to see a pair of familiar faces. Taking a seat next to the one wearing glasses, I received a weird look. “I didn't think I'd be seeing you two here.”

“We weren't expecting you either,” Iwaizumi said, answering for both him and Oikawa.

“So which side are you hoping to see win?”

The brunette made an irritated expression, keeping his eyes on the match. Quite typical of Oikawa, from what I knew of him. “Neither. Whoever wins, I'll still be pissed, so they should both lose,”

“That's very childish of you, Toru.”

Ignoring his friend's childish answer, the spiky haired male directed my own words back at me, but in a nicer way. “So which side are you cheering for?”

“I want to see Shiratorizawa lose.” Considering how close Satori and I were, you'd think that I would be here to cheer for him, but I wasn't. “One of the middle blockers on their side is a friend of mine. He's kind of arrogant and I'd like to see him lose at something for once.”

“And you call Oikawa childish...”

“Satori and I... well, we dated for awhile back in the beginning of our first year,” I slowly explained, not taking my eyes of the wild and red-haired male. “But he was so focused on volleyball and other things that it was better to end it. We stayed friends though and still talk when we can.” We also screwed around a lot, but I didn't want to say that out loud.

Karasuno called for a time-out and I turned my gaze to the brunette beside me. He didn't look so bad with glasses, even if they weren't a particularly attractive pair of them. “Glasses look good on you, Toru.”

“Really?” It was almost cute how surprised and happy he sounded at just that tiny little compliment. Almost. “I never thought they did.”

Knowing him, he was probably pretty self-conscious whenever he wore them. They made him less attractive, but also more attractive, if that makes any sense. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it gave him a more realistic sort of attractiveness. “They make you look less like one of those womanizing pretty-boy types.”

“Do I actually look like that?”

“Only to girls who aren't fooled by a pretty face,” I said, laughing quietly to myself at his “offended” reaction. “I like this side of you better than that charming act you use on other girls.”

The timeout was then over and the match resumed. This final set was going to be a close one, as the lead seemed to being bouncing back and forth between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa... much like my own feelings about whether or not I should actually give Oikawa a chance.

“Senri...” I heard the setter's voice ask, nearly missing it because I'd started to get lost in my thoughts.

“You're going to ask me out again, aren't you?” Oikawa's silence gave me my answer. No matter how many times I'd refused, no matter how many times I said that it would never work, he refused to give up. All I could do was sigh. “Since you don't want either side to win, I'll give you a reason to cheer for one.”

“How do you plan on doing that?”

“If Shiratorizawa loses, then I will go out with you,” I declared, turning my head to meet his eyes. This final set seemed to mirror my feelings towards him, so I was going to let that make the decision. Fate would be the one to decide. “But if Karasuno loses, I will never ever go out with you and what happened that night will never happen again.”


End file.
